


The Famous Bucky Barnes

by emphasisonem



Series: Idylwood [3]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Small Town, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-17
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-24 15:02:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7512760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emphasisonem/pseuds/emphasisonem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Is this the new florist?” Sam questions as he makes his way forward, a wicked grin on his face and fuck, this is so not good. </p><p>“That’s me,” Bucky replies, meeting Sam’s extended hand with his own and shaking firmly. Steve gets the distinct feeling that he is about a thousand percent doomed in this situation.</p><p>“So you’re the famous Bucky Barnes,” Sam drops the other man’s hand. “Sam Wilson, pleasure to meet you.”</p><p>“You as well,” Bucky smiles, eyes darting to Steve’s. “Famous, eh?” </p><p>  <b>In which Sam meets Bucky, and Steve would like to disappear, please. Set after "Hey, Neighbor."</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	The Famous Bucky Barnes

**Author's Note:**

> More fluff :) Hope you guys like it!

Steve sees Bucky around a couple of times in the days after Bucky sends him the roses. He waves and smiles each time he catches the brunet’s eye, but doesn’t stop to chat. It _is not_ , Steve assures Sam, because he is a chicken. He’s just very busy.

Still, Steve’s less-than prepared when Bucky appears before him at the register on Friday afternoon, dumping a basket full of gardening supplies onto the counter.

“Hey, neighbor,” Bucky smiles, leaning against the dark wood, stormy eyes sparkling with mischief, and Steve is already blushing. It takes every ounce of his restraint not to groan aloud when Sam pops his head out of the office door.

“Is this the new florist?” Sam questions as he makes his way forward, a wicked grin on his face and _fuck_ , this is so not good.

“That’s me,” Bucky replies, meeting Sam’s extended hand with his own and shaking firmly. Steve gets the distinct feeling that he is about a thousand percent doomed in this situation.

“So you’re the famous Bucky Barnes,” Sam drops the other man’s hand. “Sam Wilson, pleasure to meet you.”

“You as well,” Bucky smiles, eyes darting to Steve’s. “Famous, eh?”

The question is directed at Sam, but Bucky winks at Steve, and yeah, Steve would really love it if maybe a hole just opened up in the floor and swallowed him down right now. Of course, that train of thought only leads to Steve wondering what it’d be like if _Bucky_ swallowed him down, and he really does not need this on what should be a relaxing prelude to the weekend.

“Well, how could you not be when you sent Steve those lovely roses?” Sam is smirking and Steve wants nothing more than to haul off and slap his friend across the back of the head, but he would also love to project the image of cool and collected. He doubts hitting Sam would read as calm and not-at-all flustered by the situation.

“Thank you for those, by the way,” Steve smiles, and Bucky’s eyes soften. Steve grips the counter a little tighter in an effort not to reach out, grab Bucky by the hair and pull him in for a kiss.

 _Cool_ , he reminds himself, _calm and fucking collected, Rogers._

Bucky shrugs, smiling. “I saw you admiring them. Figured it’d be a nice way to let you know I appreciated the help.”

“I think you’ll find there’s a lot to appreciate about Steve,” Sam quips, and Steve throws a sidelong glare at his best friend.

“Oh, I’m sure,” Bucky practically purrs, and Steve just manages to stop a shudder from rolling down his spine. Is it necessary for one human being to project so much fucking sex appeal? Steve wonders, a tight smile on his face as he begins to ring up Bucky’s purchases.

“I guess you grow your own flowers too?” Steve asks, holding up a trowel and some gardening gloves.

“I do,” Bucky grins. “Gardening’s always put me at ease. Nice to have a yard and all now instead of just a couple of window boxes.”

“I’m sure it’ll be gorgeous,” Steve drops his gaze, _not_ because he’s imagining Bucky covered in sweat and dirt, but because he can’t get the damn seed packets to scan and needs to type in the bar code.

“Well, you’d be more than welcome to come see anytime you like,” Bucky replies. “You too, Sam. Though, none of these will actually bloom until sometime in the spring.”

“Why plant them now?” Sam asks, and Steve is relieved to hear simple curiosity in his friend’s voice instead of innuendo. Maybe Steve’s weathered the worst of his embarrassment for today.

“Soil’s warmer in fall, for one thing,” Bucky explains. “Roots’ll grow until the ground freezes, and they’ll keep going once the ground thaws out again. Plus, you get better plantin’ days in the fall most of the time.”

“Interesting,” Sam replies as Steve finishes ringing up all of Bucky’s items.

“That’ll be thirty two, even,” Steve tells Bucky. The brunet pulls out a couple of wrinkled bills, handing them over. Steve _does not shiver_ at the feel of Bucky’s fingers brushing his as he’s handing Bucky his change. They have the door open again, and the afternoon’s a little on the brisk side, is all.

“Thanks, Steve,” there’s a grin on Bucky’s face that suggests he knows what’s on Steve’s mind, and the blond can feel heat rising to his face again. How can someone he barely knows have such an immediate effect on him? It’s hardly fair.

_You. Have. A. Girlfriend. Rogers._

But it’s not Sharon he’s smiling at, heart racing as he tells Bucky he’s welcome. It’s not Sharon who tips him another wink and then saunters toward the door. It’s not Sharon’s ass he’s admiring.

 _Fuck_.

 

* * *

 

“So, I guess you haven’t been over to Bucky’s shop yet if you just thanked him for those flowers today?” Sam tries to keep his voice light and casual as the two of them prepare to close up shop for the night, but it’s kind of hard not to sound amused.

Steve glares at him as he pauses in counting the day’s take. “No, I haven’t.”

“You should,” Sam suggests. “I mean, when’s the last time you bought Sharon fresh flowers?”

“Sam,” there’s a warning tone to Steve’s voice.

“I’m just sayin’, man,” Sam chuckles. “It’d be nice. He sent you flowers _and_ he came in and bought stuff. It’d be like returning the favor. Hell, I’ll come in and buy a bouquet for my mom.”

“Oh, perfect,” Steve snarks, resuming counting. “You can get on your mom’s good side _and_ watch me embarrass myself in front of the hot new guy in one fell swoop.”

“So you _are_ into him?” Sam grins, biting the inside of his cheek so that he doesn’t laugh at Steve’s exasperated sigh.

“I have a girlfriend, Sam,” Steve insists. “A serious girlfriend that I have been dating for nine years. He’s just hot. I get flustered around hot people I’ve only just met, ok?”

“Ok,” Sam replies. “Methinks the lady doth protest too much, but ok.”

“I’m going to murder you, Wilson,” Steve rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling. The two of them finish up with closing and then head across the street.

 

* * *

 

Bucky’s just about to walk over to the door and flip the sign from open to closed when Steve and Sam come through the door, the little bell above it tinkling to announce their arrival. Not that Bucky could ever miss Steve.

“Well, hey,” Bucky smiles, eyes locked on Steve’s as he leans forward over his counter. “Must be my lucky day. What can I do for you gentlemen?”

“We’re here to purchase some flowers,” Sam grins, winking, and Bucky thinks he likes this guy. Steve’s friend has clearly picked up on the strange tension between them, and appears to be doing his best to play matchmaker and embarrass the hell out of Steve at the same time. Bucky is absolutely on board with this, and not just because Steve blushes the most lovely shade of pink he’s ever seen.

“You are in luck,” Bucky chuckles, gesturing to the blooms around him. “Who we buyin’ for today?”

“My mom,” Sam smiles. “She loves daffodils. Have anything like that?”

“Course,” Bucky laughs. “What the hell kinda florist would I be if I didn’t have daffodils? You just want them or you want an arrangement with somethin’ else?”

“How much would that run?” Sam asks. “An arrangement?”

“I could do daffodils and daisies in a vase for $20,” Bucky replies, eyes flickering over to Steve. He’d be lying if he said he doesn’t like the way the blond’s eyes are trained on him, and Bucky wonders if Steve’s even aware he’s staring.

“Works for me,” Sam grins. “Steve?”

“Uh,” Steve begins, articulate as always. Bucky finds it more than a little endearing “I, uh, figured I’d get some flowers for Shar.”

Bucky nods, trying hard to keep his face smooth and without tension. “All right, flowers for the girlfriend. She more a traditional romantic like you, or?”

“How do you know Steve’s a traditional romantic?” Sam grins, and there’s that flush Bucky’s been hoping to see. The pink of Steve’s cheeks brings out the blue in his eyes, and Bucky wonders if Steve is full-body blusher. He kind of doubts he’ll get the chance to find out, but hope springs eternal.

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed the way your friend here looks at red roses,” Bucky chuckles. “But in my experience only the most hopeless of romantics get that lovelorn look in their eyes when they see those flowers. Makes sense, of course. Red roses are a way of telling someone you’re very passionately in love.”

“That mean you're in love with Steve, then, Barnes?” Sam grins, and Bucky resolutely ignores the heat rising to his face.

“Sam,” Steve hisses, his face beet red, and _god_ , this is the most adorable man Bucky has ever laid eyes on. Of course, Bucky’s not in love with Steve, but he’s thinking it probably wouldn’t be that hard to fall for the blond.

“Barely know him, Sam,” Bucky chuckles. “They were the ones he was admiring, so I figured they were the ones I should send.”

“Mhmm,” Sam smirks. “Of course.”

“Don’t mind, Sam,” Steve glowers at his friend. “He just likes messing with people. Especially if they’re new in town.”

“No worries, Steve,” Bucky grins. “I can handle it.”

Bucky quickly puts together the two arrangements once Steve admits he’s not really sure what kind of flowers Sharon likes best. Bucky advises him to go with the red roses in that case.

“Unless of course,” he teases. “You _aren’t_ passionately in love with her.”

Steve laughs, the tight set of his shoulders betraying his unease, his uncertainty. “With how long we’ve been together, I better be.”

Bucky just smiles and nods, his heart beating a little too fast. Bucky’s good at reading people, always has been, and from what he’s observed in just a couple of interactions Steve is not so sure about Sharon as he maybe thought he was.

Maybe Bucky should feel guilty for hoping that’s the case. But he doesn’t, he muses as he bids the two men goodbye after they’ve paid for their flowers.

He really, _really_ doesn’t.

  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
